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Most stolen cars for 2010/11

The National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council has identified the most stolen motor vehicles for July 1 2010 to June 30 2011. The data highlights figures for short-term and profit-motivated car theft and is the latest data release since the 2010 calendar year stolen vehicle figures. The top three most stolen cars for short-term benefit are the Hyundai Excel X3, Holden Commodore VN and Toyota Camry SV21. The top three most stolen vehicles for profit are the Holden Commodore VT, Toyota Camry SV21 and Holden Commodore VS.

Short-term thefts

Thefts falling into this category are opportunistic. The vehicles are used for purposes such as joy riding, as getaway cars or simply to travel. There were 40,124 short-term thefts in 2010-11, making up 71% of total vehicle theft (56,779) in Australia for that year.

Cars aged 10 years-plus are more susceptible to theft according to the National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council (NMVTR) and make up nearly two-thirds (23,050) of all PLCs stolen for short-term benefit in 2010-11. NMVTR links this to the car's age profile and the difficulty of fitting older vehicles with an Australian Standards 4601 approved immobiliser. To deter thefts, it is recommended that only immobilisers that meet Australian Standards be installed and their installation should be performed properly.

The top cars involved in short-term thefts are the Hyundai Excel, followed closely by the Holden Commodore, with just thirty less stolen cars. Other cars in the top ten list include the Toyota Camry, Ford Falcon and Nissan Skyline.

Make/Model/Series

Number of thefts in 2010/11

Number of thefts in 2009/10

Hyundai Excel X3

880

826

Holden Commodore VN

851

975

Toyota Camry SV21

777

929

Holden Commodore VT

692

652

Holden Commodore VL

505

587

Holden Commodore VS

475

451

Holden Commodore VR

398

455

Ford Falcon

383

356

Nissan Skyline

378

364

Holden Commodore VE

365

NA

Source: National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council (NA: Not available)

Profit-motivated theft

Profit-motivated theft is conducted with the intent to illegally sell either parts from the stolen vehicle or the entire vehicle. The number of profit-motivated thefts in 2010-11 was 16,655. This high volume of profit-motivated theft is concerning - profit-motivated thefts represent 29% of all stolen vehicles, compared to one-in-eight five years ago.

Holden's Commodore ranks high in the top ten list of profit-motivated car thefts, with Toyota models coming second, following by the Nissan Skyline, Hyundai Excel, and Ford Falcon.

Top passenger/light commercial profit-motivated theft targets, January - December 2011

Make/Model/Series

Number of thefts in 2010/11

Number of thefts in 2009/10

Holden Commodore VT

263

289

Toyota Camry SV21

220

232

Holden Commodore VS

184

177

Nissan Skyline

167

204

Hyundai Excel X3

166

168

Toyota Hilux MY98_04

166

132

Ford Falcon AU

159

116

Toyota Hiace MY90_04

157

NA

Holden Commodore VX

153

132

Holden Commodore VL

147

161

Source: National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council (NA: Not available)

While joy riders and other opportunistic thieves are focused on passenger vehicles, profit-motivated vehicle thieves are focused on where the money is. 2010-11's top 10 profit-motivated thefts include two commercial vehicles: the Toyota Hilux utility at 6th place and the Toyota Hiace van at 8th.

Do you own a car that features on the top stolen cars list? Installing security devices may deter opportunistic thieves and may help reduce your premium. You should contact Allianz* for further information on how different security options can help reduce your car insurance premium.